UK punk-rap duo sparks outrage with anti-Israel chants at major music festival
A punk-rap duo out of the United Kingdom that shouted, "Death to the IDF," and "Free Palestine" during their set at the Glastonbury Festival, is now being condemned by political and festival officials for their actions.
London-based Bob Vylan describes itself on X as the "prettiest punk/rap/alt thing you'll ever meet." With songs like "We Live Here," "Dream Bigger," "Makes Me Violent," and "Terms & Conditions," the duo mixes elements of rap and punk.
The duo performed a high-energy set at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, whic ultimately turned into a political podium for the group's singer to shout out anti-Israel rhetoric.
While holding the microphone, singer Bobby Vylan shouted, "Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]," several times before turning the microphone toward the crowd to get attendees to repeat the chant. The IDF is the national military of Israel. Videos from the crowd's view showed several Palestinian flags waving as the performer and attendees shouted back and forth.
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At one point, Vylan shouted "Free, Free, Free Palestine," and again, had some in the crowd repeat what he said.
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Before returning to his set, though, Vylan ended the chant and said, "Hell yeah, from the river to the sea. Palestine must be, will be inshallah, it will be free."
Videos of the chants spread across the internet like crazy, and now British police in Somerset and Avon are reviewing the videos to "determine whether any offenses may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation."
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The BBC reported that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Bob Vylan for calling on the death of Israeli troops with the use of "appalling hate speech."
The BBC, which broadcast the festival live, has reportedly chosen to remove the duo's set from its iPlayer.
The BBC said it issued a warning on screen about "very strong and discriminatory language" during the live stream, The Associated Press reported.
Festival organizers did not take the comments lightly and have since released a statement on Instagram saying, "Glastonbury Festival was created in 1970 as a place for people to come together and rejoice in music, the arts and the best of human endeavour."
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"As a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism. We will always believe in - and actively campaign for - hope, unity, peace and love," the statement read. "With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share, and a performer's presence here should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs.
"However, we are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday," the statement continued. "Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the Festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence."
Another group, Kneecap, also performed on Saturday despite a terror charge for one of its members over allegedly supporting Hezbollah. During the performance, Kneecap led a huge crowd in chants of "Free Palestine."
Famously known as Britain's biggest summer music festival, Glastonbury draws a crowd of nearly 200,000 music fans every year to Worthy Farm in southwest England. About 4,000 acts perform during the festival on 120 stages.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.Original article source: UK punk-rap duo sparks outrage with anti-Israel chants at major music festival
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Glastonbury mixed pop and politics long before the Bob Vylan controversy
LONDON -- The Glastonbury Festival is making headlines for controversy rather than music. The likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Rod Stewart, Neil Young, Charli XCX, Busta Rhymes and Doechii played to tens of thousands onsite, and millions more on TV, during Britain's biggest and most famous music extravaganza. But it's little-known rap-punk duo Bob Vylan attracting politicians' ire — and a police probe — after leading a chant calling for 'death' to the Israeli military. This isn't the first time politics has collided with pop at the festival. For half a century, Britain's big political and cultural divides have found their way onstage at Glastonbury. The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, to give it its full name, was founded by Michael Eavis in 1970 on his Worthy Farm, 120 miles (some 200 kilometers) southwest of London. It's still run by the 90-year-old farmer and his daughter, Emily Eavis. Originally a hippie happening with a 1 pound ticket price (about 20 pounds or $27 today), Glastonbury has largely shed its counterculture cachet. These days, tickets for the three-day event cost close to 400 pounds. But it remains famous for its eclectic lineup, unique atmosphere and commitment to environmentalism and other progressive causes. This year's event drew about 200,000 people to see almost 4,000 performers on 120 stages, alongside film screenings and live debates on a variety of issues. Glastonbury was founded in a spirit of hippie idealism that has never entirely faded. In the 1980s, the festival donated some of its profits to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, which protested U.S. nuclear weapons on British soil. It continues to support charities including Oxfam and Greenpeace. By the late 1980s, attendees included New Age 'travelers' involved with the U.K.'s unofficial and anarchic rave scene. In 1990, some travelers clashed with security at the site, leading to significant damage and more than 200 arrests. Since then, the festival's security and organization have grown increasingly professional, sparking regret from some fans who feel it has lost its alternative spirit. The 2016 festival coincided with the U.K.'s referendum on European Union membership, and the decision to leave the bloc — which most young people opposed — overshadowed the event. Many performers mentioned Brexit and the dispirited mood, including headliner Adele, who urged people to 'look after each other.' Performers have often vented their opposition to politicians from the stage. In 2019, rapper Stormzy led the crowd in 'F___ Boris' chants aimed at then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. This year, Irish rappers Kneecap directed the same expletive at Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In contrast, then-Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was warmly received at the festival in 2017 after doing better than expected against the Conservatives in a general election. Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has provoked heightened emotions that spilled over onto Glastonbury's stages. Before the event, some politicians called for Glastonbury to cancel a performance by Irish-language hip-hop trio Kneecap, whose pro-Palestinian comments, critics say, have crossed a line into support for violence. Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh has been charged under the Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed organization for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London in November. He denies the charge, and Kneecap has accused critics of trying to silence the band because of its support for the Palestinian cause. Kneecap's energetic set included plenty of pro-Palestinian comments and criticism of the government. But it was the act that preceded them, Bob Vylan, that caused a furor when a member of the duo led chants of 'death to the IDF,' the Israel Defense Forces. The Avon and Somerset Police force said officers would review video evidence 'to determine whether any offenses may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation. Michael and Emily Eavis said Bob Vylan had 'very much crossed a line.' They said 'there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.' Britain's publicly funded national broadcaster is under fire for showing Bob Vylan's set, one of dozens of Glastonbury performances it streamed live online. The BBC said Monday that it should have cut off the broadcast after the 'antisemitic' and 'utterly unacceptable' comments, and has removed the performance from its website. But the government is demanding to know what 'due diligence' it did on Bob Vylan before the broadcast. Some media experts say the broadcaster is in a difficult position. Steven Barnett, professor of communications at the University of Westminster, said Britain's influential right-wing press,' including newspapers such as the Daily Mail and The Sun, frequently attack the BBC, 'for both commercial and ideological reasons.'
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